Norovirus on eclipse - delayed sailing tonight

[nellydean]

Just posted this in the roll calls thread:

 

My brother and his wife just got home from this cruise today, he was ill with the Noro virus, she wasn't, thankfully, as she was celebrating her 60th birthday.

 

As a result, the ship is being fumigated and won't be leaving tonight until 8pm - my brother was told this by his suite steward. Deck 7 was apparently badly hit, with people quarantined and others walking around in face masks. Today, around 8am, he says they were walking around in 'ghostbuster suits'

 

He says he couldn't fault Celebrity's hygiene in trying to contain the virus, but some passengers, particularly elderly travellers, did not help by refusing to use the hand gel dispensers before meals and, worse, picking up food in the buffet with their hands. He said the outbreak happened a couple of days out, so he reckons someone has boarded the ship knowing they had a stomach upset and lied about it on the questionnaire at boarding, which is a bit mean, considering they would have been alllowed to board but confined to quarters for a couple of days (which is what happened to subsequent sufferers)

 

Hope it's all cleared and everyone on this next sailing has a great cruise, but it's a timely warning to keep washing your hands.

[nellydean]

Hampshire Rose says this in the roll call thread (in response to my post about Eclipse being delayed at Southampton):

 

I have friends waiting to board and it is complete chaos. They have been told to go into town as there are people everywhere not knowing what is going on. At first they were not allowed to get off the buses taking them from the car park, surely they could have told them then before parking their cars that there was a long delay. They have not been told about the late sailing, only that it was caused by one person with nurovirus!!!!!! and that the ship is being deep cleaned.

[Lsimon]

We were on a sailing from Barcelona 4 years ago that followed a severe noro breakout on the Millennium. Celebrity processed check-in but delayed boarding until late in the day. They provided transportation to the nearby tourist area of the city and storage for carry-on baggage. In our case things were very organized.

 

The cleaning apparently was successful as there was little or nor outbreak on our cruise so they appear to do fairly well in containing these outbreaks.

 

One of the issues is that sometimes there is a severe outbreak on the nearby port city which tends to cause the virus to be carried back onto the ship each cruise and there is little the cruise line can do about it. I seem to recall this being an issue with an east coast USA departure port a couple of years ago.

[HnRT]

My husband and I left the ship on a self disembarkment today. There was notification of an outbreak of a virus which had speed to a nuber of cases after wee left Venice.

 

All affected persons were elderly as I understand (85+) and Celebrity were excellent in their honesty regarding the outbreak and the hygiene stds they imposed afterwards. Handrails being continually cleaned, people stood at the entrance to eating areas with Hand sanitiser, no ice in the staterooms etc.

 

Unfortunately it would appear it was the guests themselves who failed to support them. People 'avoiding' the use of sanitetiser on boarding and entering the dining rooms etc.

 

It is a shame that the new guests were not informed sooner and I do hope that the crew will have the energy to ensure they have a fantastic start tot he cruise as it sounded like today was going to be an all hands on deck affair with some very long hours being put in.

[nellydean]

My husband and I left the ship on a self disembarkment today. There was notification of an outbreak of a virus which had speed to a nuber of cases after wee left Venice.

 

All affected persons were elderly as I understand (85+) and Celebrity were excellent in their honesty regarding the outbreak and the hygiene stds they imposed afterwards. Handrails being continually cleaned, people stood at the entrance to eating areas with Hand sanitiser, no ice in the staterooms etc.

 

Unfortunately it would appear it was the guests themselves who failed to support them. People 'avoiding' the use of sanitetiser on boarding and entering the dining rooms etc.

 

It is a shame that the new guests were not informed sooner and I do hope that the crew will have the energy to ensure they have a fantastic start tot he cruise as it sounded like today was going to be an all hands on deck affair with some very long hours being put in.

 

My brother is 61, so it wasn't just 85+ passengers affected, although was not badly affected fortunately.

[gosport11]

WE have just returned from the same cruise,if only people would wash there hands it would be so much easier on every one,what also is a problem that norvo is also an airborne virus

the out break didnt spoil our cruise:):), we tended to use a servitte to handle salt pots chairs etc,it looks a bit weird but it helps

the main upset was the chaotic disembarkation but thats another story,unfortunatley an older demographic often leads to norb=vo out breaks ask Fred Olsen

As previously said we had a real good cruise

PS when the menus diappered from the bars we knew what was going on

[nellydean]

WE have just returned from the same cruise,if only people would wash there hands it would be so much easier on every one,what also is a problem that norvo is also an airborne virus

the out break didnt spoil our cruise:):), we tended to use a servitte to handle salt pots chairs etc,it looks a bit weird but it helps

the main upset was the chaotic disembarkation but thats another story,unfortunatley an older demographic often leads to norb=vo out breaks ask Fred Olsen

As previously said we had a real good cruise

PS when the menus diappered from the bars we knew what was going on

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise

 

Someone on the rolls calls thread has said her friend has already boarded, though not in her cabin yet, so fingers crossed things are moving in the right direction now

[macro duck]

I spoke to my friend around 3.30 pm and he had boarded after a few hours delay, he didn't know anything about delayed departure though.

[nycmode]

is it true or just an old wive's tale that people with blood type O have a genetic predisposition that makes them more likely to get the norovirus than B or A folks?

[Emerald 53]

is it true or just an old wive's tale that people with blood type O have a genetic predisposition that makes them more likely to get the norovirus than B or A folks?

 

nycmode,

 

Here is an article that indicates that blood type O is more likely to acquire the Norovirus. Also what is interesting in the article is that alcohol based hand sanitizer are not as effective against the Norovirus.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus

[nycmode]

nycmode,

 

Here is an article that indicates that blood type O is more likely to acquire the Norovirus. Also what is interesting in the article is that alcohol based hand sanitizer are not as effective against the Norovirus.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus

 

Good thing I'm type B! (But the wife? Well ...)

[iandjm]

nycmode,

 

Here is an article that indicates that blood type O is more likely to acquire the Norovirus. Also what is interesting in the article is that alcohol based hand sanitizer are not as effective against the Norovirus.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus

 

Hi,

The new anti-viral variety of the hand sanitizers that Celebrity use is very good against Noro though :)

[Emerald 53]

Hi,

The new anti-viral variety of the hand sanitizers that Celebrity use is very good against Noro though :)

 

Thanks for the info. I was wondering what they were using . I found a choride based hand sanitizer - Gold Bond Ultimate. I might go ahead and pick up a few of the pocket size to carry for the cruise just in case.

[Schplinky]

My brother is 61, so it wasn't just 85+ passengers affected, although was not badly affected fortunately.

 

I think the poster means there were more than 85 passengers affected, not just passengers over the age of 85.

[natshala]

Hmmm....according to **********, Eclipse set sail out of Southampton at 16:30. That would be right on time?

 

Does anyone have other info?

 

I have family on Eclipse and haven't heard from them.

Thanks.

 

Nancy

[Elsea]

I was on this cruise and we were told by a crew member that it was mostly the over 80's that were down with norvirus. I have to admit that Celebrity did everything that they could to ensure to curtail the spread of the virus, however not all passengers were using the hand gel. I observed people taking food with their hands instead of using the tongs provided.

[Adammara]

According to Southampton port authority, Eclipse sailed at 18.04.

 

Hope they sort the problem out, we are on her next!. My wife got it on Indy in January, and we were well looked after.

 

Richard

[ariawoman]

nycmode,

 

Here is an article that indicates that blood type O is more likely to acquire the Norovirus. Also what is interesting in the article is that alcohol based hand sanitizer are not as effective against the Norovirus.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus

 

 

Ugh. I'm type O! My boyfriend is B+. Not fair! I don't want to be predispositioned to it! lol

[nellydean]

I was on this cruise and we were told by a crew member that it was mostly the over 80's that were down with norvirus. I have to admit that Celebrity did everything that they could to ensure to curtail the spread of the virus, however not all passengers were using the hand gel. I observed people taking food with their hands instead of using the tongs provided.

 

Yes, this is what my brother reported also, yuk

 

You would expect it of children, but not adults, and my brother said the offenders were mainly the very elderly

[gelo7]

Good thing I'm type B! (But the wife? Well ...)

Me too...

[c-legs]

I seem to recall this being an issue with an east coast USA departure port a couple of years ago.

Hi,

Perhaps you're referring to MERCURY two winters ago when she homeported in Charleston.....poor gal had a devil of a time with the Noro stuff.....I beleive 3 successive sailings were impacted.

Cheers

[chloe kitty]

I was on a Princess ship out of China that had noro on it. They also did a great job to try to curtail it. We also saw the men in space suits. Our cabin stew told us that only the men in space suits go into a cabin where noro is present. The regular stew doesn't go in there at all. By the way, all ages were affected.

[nellydean]

There's a report about the outbreak in the Echo today:

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9277169.Sickness_bug_delays_cruise/

 

Interesting comment below asking why people didn't get the norovirus in the Sixties - probably because people's hygiene habits were a lot better in those days - no fingers in the buffet for them (if there was a buffet :))

[BBsails]

nellydean, could you clarify your statement that "the offenders were mainly the very elderly"? I understand the very elderly are more susceptible to the virus, but I'm not clear about their being considered "offenders."

[glasgow_canuck]

nellydean, could you clarify your statement that "the offenders were mainly the very elderly"? I understand the very elderly are more susceptible to the virus, but I'm not clear about their being considered "offenders."

 

I believe nellydean as talking about the people who take food with their hands rather than using tongs.